Is Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE) Potentially Undervalued?

Today we're going to take a look at the well-established Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company (NYSE:HPE). The company's stock saw a double-digit share price rise of over 10% in the past couple of months on the NYSE. While good news for shareholders, the company has traded much higher in the past year. With many analysts covering the large-cap stock, we may expect any price-sensitive announcements have already been factored into the stock’s share price. However, could the stock still be trading at a relatively cheap price? Today we will analyse the most recent data on Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s outlook and valuation to see if the opportunity still exists.

See our latest analysis for Hewlett Packard Enterprise

What's The Opportunity In Hewlett Packard Enterprise?

Good news, investors! Hewlett Packard Enterprise is still a bargain right now according to our price multiple model, which compares the company's price-to-earnings ratio to the industry average. We’ve used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because there’s not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stock’s ratio of 13.96x is currently well-below the industry average of 26.09x, meaning that it is trading at a cheaper price relative to its peers. However, given that Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us another chance to buy in the future. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

Can we expect growth from Hewlett Packard Enterprise?

Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that it’s the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. Hewlett Packard Enterprise's earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 34%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? Since HPE is currently below the industry PE ratio, it may be a great time to accumulate more of your holdings in the stock. With an optimistic outlook on the horizon, it seems like this growth has not yet been fully factored into the share price. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current price multiple.

Are you a potential investor? If you’ve been keeping an eye on HPE for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its prosperous future profit outlook isn’t fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means it’s not too late to buy HPE. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the track record of its management team, in order to make a well-informed assessment.

So while earnings quality is important, it's equally important to consider the risks facing Hewlett Packard Enterprise at this point in time. While conducting our analysis, we found that Hewlett Packard Enterprise has 3 warning signs and it would be unwise to ignore these.

If you are no longer interested in Hewlett Packard Enterprise, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com